Message holder



p 26, 9- c. o. GLENN E1 2,174,126

' MESSAGE HOLDER Filed May 21, 1957 ii A.

Patented Sept. 26, 1939 UNITED STATES IWESSAGE HOLDER Clyde 0. Glenn, Verona, and Salathiel Fred Cummings, Mazon, Ill.

Application May 21, 1937, Serial No. 144,044

1 Claim.

This invention relates to a dispatch or message holder designed primarily for use in transferring dispatches, train orders or the like to trainmen of moving trains.

An important object of the invention is to provide a device of this character including a dispatch or message holding hoop, and a support for holding the hoop in such a way that the hoop will be held to the support by gravity, eliminating the necessity of using spring arms to frictionally engage the message carrying hoop, which often interfere with the removal of the hoop.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a hoop which will not roll, and one having a yielding clip formed integral therewith, by means of which a dispatch or message may be secured to the hoop, to the end that all danger of the clip becoming disconnected from the hoop is eliminated.

Another important object of the invention is the provision of illuminating means so arranged with respect to the hoop, that the clip and dispatch or message held thereby, will be illuminated, and the person receiving the dispatch or message will not be blinded by the light rays from the illuminating means.

Another object of the invention is to provide a device of this character including arms in which the message carrying hoop is held, the arms being connected to the support or handle of the device, by means of a spring arm, thereby yieldably supporting the arms, and reducing the possibilities of the hoop and supporting arms binding, as the message hoop is being removed.

With the foregoing and other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention consists of certain novel details of construction and combinations of parts hereinafter more fully described and pointed out in the claim, it being understood that changes may be made in the construction and arrangement of parts without departing from the spirit of the invention as claimed.

Referring to the drawing:

Figure 1 is an elevational view of a device constructed in accordance with the invention, the hoop being positioned Within its support.

Figure 2 is a sectional view taken on line 2-2 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a fragmental sectional view through a modified form of the invention.

Figure 4 is a fragmental perspective view illustrating one end of the yieldable member employed in connecting the arms to the holder or stick.

Figure 5 is a fragmental perspective View illustrating the clip portion of the hoop.

Referring to the drawing in detail, the device includes a support-or holder indicated generally by the reference character 5, which is in the form 5 of a rod or stick, the rod or stick being hollow so that an electric battery indicated at 6 may be held in the handle thereof. The battery 6 is in circuit with the electric lamp 1, through wires extended through the support, the circuit to the lamp 7 being controlled by means of the switch 8, located on the support so that it may be conveniently operated by the thumb of the hand holding the support.

As clearly shown by Figure 1 of the drawin the electric lamp 1 is disposed at an oblique angle with respect to the rod or support 5, and is so arranged that light rays projected therefrom will illuminate the message or dispatch holder during fog or mist, without the danger of the light rays blinding the trainsman receiving the message.

At one end of the support 5 are outwardly and upwardly curved arms 9 which extend in opposite directions, the arms 9 being formed of material d substantially trough shaped or V shaped in cross section, as shown by Figure 2 of the drawing so that the hoop held within the arms will be securely held against wabbling or lateral movement, but will be permitted to slide freely from the arms when the arm of the person taking the message, is extended through the hoop.

The arms 9 are secured to the support or stick, by means of the length of yieldable metal indicated by the reference character In, the lower 35 end thereof being shown as extended into a slot formed in the upper end of the holder or stick 5, and is secured in position by means of the rivets H. The outer end of the member ID is slit, providing laterally extended flanges l2, which are extended in opposite directions to fit against the outer surface of the arms 9, where they are secured as by spot welding. Thus it will be seen that due to this construction, movement of the arms 9 with respect to the holder or stick 5, will be permitted, and prevent the binding of the hoop, to be hereinafter more fully described, within the arms.

The hoop, indicated by the reference character I 3, constitutes an important part of the invention and as shown, is constructed of a length of yieldable material, the ends of the length of yieldable material being brought together and overlapped as shown by Figure 1 of the drawing, the overlapped portions being welded or otherwise secured to provide yieldable fingers between which a message may be securely gripped.

As shown by the drawing, one end of the length of material of which the hoop is formed, extends beyond the side edges of the hoop, as at l4 to rest against one end of one of the arms, securely holding the hoop in its proper position within the arms.

The hoop is also formed with a straight portion indicated by the reference character l5, to prevent the hoop from rolling, when a hoop is returned to the station agent by throwing the hoop from the moving train.

In order that a dispatch or message may be readily positioned within the clip, the outer end l5 of the clip is curved laterally to the end that by passing the dispatch or message along the surface of the hoop, towards the clip, the dispatch or message will be fed to the clip and securely held thereby.

As shown by Figure 3 of the drawing, the arms are constructed of a length of wire material bent intermediate its end, providing spaced members H, to which the tongues l8 of the member [9, are welded, securing the arms to the support or holder. In this form of the invention the hoop will be securely held in position, but without frictional contact.

From the foregoing it will be seen that due to the construction shown and described, the hoop merely rests within the arms 9, the ends of the arms contacting with the hoop at points below a horizontal line drawn through the hoop, thereby ofiering the least possible resistance when the hoop is being removed.

The device is used in the well known manner, and the hoop is removed by a trainman passing his arm through the hoop, removing the hoop with its message from the support.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is:

A message holder comprising a supporting stick, a wide flexible connecting member, secured to the supporting stick, a U-shaped hoop supporting member presenting parallel lateral arms, secured to one end of the connecting member, the inner surface of said U-shaped member being trough shaped the walls of the trough-shaped inner surface of the U-shaped member adapted to grip a message hoop held therein and contact with the hoop only at points adjacent to the ends of the arms and at a point intermediate the ends of the U-shaped body portion, the remaining portions of the hoop being spaced from the U-shaped member.

CLYDE O. GLENN. SALATHIEL FRED CUMMINGS. 

